Impending Electoral Act overhaul to clip ZEC wings

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwean government is signalling significant changes to the country’s Electoral Act, which effected will remove voter registration and delimitation from the purview of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

The proposed amendments aim to voter registration responsibility to the Civil Registry Department, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

According to Justice Minister Ziyambi, both ruling and opposition parties in parliament acknowledge the “anomaly” of ZEC handling registration. He argues that processing national IDs, a function of the Civil Registry, naturally lends itself to voter registration as well.

Minister Ziyambi highlights potential benefits of the shift. Streamlining the process would allow for automatic voter registration upon obtaining an ID at 18 years old, while deceased individuals would be automatically removed from the rolls.

The proposed changes extend beyond registration. Discussions are underway to establish an independent commission tasked with delimiting electoral boundaries. This responsibility currently rests with ZEC.

The Minister suggests this aligns with the sentiment in parliament, aiming for a clearer separation between electoral administration and boundary definition.

The Minister emphasises ongoing consultations on the amendments. Importantly, these changes might necessitate alterations to the national constitution, as voter registration is currently enshrined as a ZEC function.